Aviation: Global Positioning System

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the outcome of the Civil Aviation Authority's review of the integrity of the global positioning system.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The results of the global positioning system (GPS) integrity study revealed certain shortcomings in GPS which necessitate further investigation to establish how to safely implement GPS for air navigation purposes. As a consequence, the Civil Aviation Authority has initiated a programme of GPS trial approaches to be conducted in 2006 under carefully controlled conditions. The purpose is to ensure that, when using GPS for specific phases of flight (eg on approach), the required degree of safety can be demonstrated both in UK airspace and by UK aircraft flying elsewhere.

Cancer: Bowel

Baroness Hayman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What projections they have made of the increase in diagnosis of bowel cancer that will result from the introduction of the national bowel cancer screening programme.

Lord Warner: It is estimated that when the national bowel cancer screening programme is fully rolled out in England, an extra 4,000 cancers a year will be detected. Research has shown that screening with the faecal occult blood test every two years will cut the mortality from bowel cancer by 15 per cent in those people screened.
	The National Health Service bowel cancer screening pilot in Coventry and Warwickshire showed that screen-detected cancers had no detrimental effect on bowel cancer services.
	A national training programme for endoscopy has been established to make sure we have sufficient staff to diagnose the cancers, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence produced updated guidance on Improving Outcomes in Colorectal Cancers in May 2004. This guidance is aimed at helping those involved in planning, commissioning, organising and providing bowel cancer services to ensure the configuration of appropriate high quality services.

Cancer: Bowel

Baroness Hayman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received from cancer charities regarding the rollout of the national bowel cancer screening programme.

Lord Warner: Cancer charities have been involved with the development of the national bowel cancer screening programme for over two years. This is through their representation on the Bowel Cancer Advisory Group, and the Bowel Cancer Screening Working Group.
	In addition, a Bowel Cancer Communications Group was set up in 2005 to discuss communications with the public when the bowel cancer screening programme begins. The voluntary sector is represented by Cancer Research UK, Cancer BACUP, Beating Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer UK. Other members include representatives from patient groups, researchers, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes Press Office. The group is considering all aspects of communications, including reaching ethnic minorities, people from deprived areas and hard-to-reach groups.

Council Tax

Lord Hanningfield: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Who has been responsible for the payment of council tax since 1997 on the House of Lords residential apartments within the Parliamentary Estate.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Since 1997, council tax on the residential apartments within the House of Lords part of the Parliamentary Estate has been paid from the House of Lords Vote.

Cyprus

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will use the status of the United Kingdom as guarantor power to make representations to the Government of Cyprus about possible reciprocal measures following moves by Turkey to open port services and other trade contacts with Cyprus.

Lord Triesman: There is no formal linkage between Turkey's obligations under the Ankara agreement protocol and the EU's determination to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community. None the less, on his recent visit to Cyprus, Turkey and Greece, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary encouraged all parties to take the necessary steps towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem and the normalisation of relations on all directions. In this context, we support the removal of all obstacles to trade and travel in the region and will continue to work with all parties and EU partners to this end.

Education: West Wales

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of the working population in the region of West Wales and the Valleys has no qualifications.

Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: The proportion of working aged adults (18–59/64) with no qualifications in West Wales and the Valleys is 19 per cent. Therefore, 81 per cent of working aged adults (18–59/64) in West Wales and the Valleys are qualified to at least NVQ level 1 or equivalent*.
	*Data from the 2004–05 Welsh local labour force survey.

EU: West Wales

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much Objective 1 funding from the European Union has been received by the region of West Wales and the Valleys in each of the past five years; whether the Government have matched the amounts completely or partially; and, if partially, by how much.

Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: The Objective 1 funding received by West Wales and the Valleys for each of the past five years is shown below.
	
		
			 Calendar year Drawdown funds receivedfrom EU 
			 2000 £66,092,252 
			 2001 £12,923,164 
			 2002 £79,819,209 
			 2003 £82,818,675 
			 2004 £96,435,744 
			 2005 £209,595,585 
		
	
	Locally sourced match funding is a critical element of making EU-funded projects work. It ensures local ownership of and commitment to projects that will be good quality and sustainable.
	Match funding has always come from a wide range of different sources, not all funded by the Assembly, such as the private or voluntary sectors. Some 37 per cent of the total match funding in Wales in the current European programme has come from the private sector. Two years ago—when the proportion was lower, around 30 per cent—the European Commission said that, to the best of its knowledge, that was the highest proportion of match funding from the private sector anywhere in the European Union.
	In the three spending reviews covering the period of the current structural funds programme, additional spending cover was provided for Wales for the European structural funds programme, over and above the Barnett formula, to ensure that the Assembly could implement this programme in full in Wales.

Food

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether health claims in the advertising and labelling industry of functional foods are an official endorsement of products as healthy; and whether they control and monitor such claims.

Lord Warner: Health claims on food are voluntary and do not represent an official endorsement, although they can provide useful information to help consumers make specific dietary choices. It is important that such claims are not misleading, and this is reflected in a statutory requirement. New European Commission rules on nutrition and health claims are also currently being negotiated.
	Health claims are controlled by the enforcement of the legislation.

Food

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to introduce tighter control on the labelling of inherently unhealthy foods that are marked with a health benefit.

Lord Warner: A proposal for a European Union regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food is currently under negotiation. The United Kingdom supports the inclusion of a provision for the establishment of nutrient profiles to control the use of nutrition and health claims on foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

Food

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are taking measures to ensure that robust science exists to underpin health claims made about functional foods.

Lord Warner: The proposed European Commission regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food, which is currently under negotiation, provides for lists of authorised health claims to be established. Authorisation would be contingent on all health claims being substantiated by generally accepted scientific data and on the views of the European Food Safety Authority.

HIV: Contaminated Blood Products

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received from Ms Carol Grayson concerning the death of her husband, a haemophilia patient, from HIV infection by contaminated National Health Service blood donors at Arkansas State Penitentiary; and what response they propose to make to these representations.

Lord Warner: We have received several recent communications from Ms Carol Grayson about the import of plasma from the United States. We will be responding shortly. I will insure that a copy of the letter from Ms Grayson dated 14 January is sent to my noble friend.

Honours

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have plans to change the policy of civil servants receiving honours for doing their jobs.

Baroness Amos: In their draft response to reports on reform of the honours system by the Public Administration Committee and Sir Hayden Phillips (Reform of the Honours System: Cm 6479 of February 2005), the Government confirmed that all honours will continue to be awarded on merit—for exceptional achievement or service over and above that which might normally be expected.

Influenza Pandemic

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the exercise which the European Union commissioned in 2005 from the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency to test preparations for pandemic influenza has yet happened; if so, what lessons were learned from it; and whether any further such exercises are planned.

Lord Warner: In November 2005 a European Commission-commissioned, Health Protection Agency-run, influenza pandemic exercise (Exercise Common Ground) was undertaken. Participants included the EC and European Union member states.
	The key lessons learnt from the EC viewpoint include:
	further clarity on roles and responsibilities of the EU Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the World Health Organisation and the European Commission is required; and
	problems experienced with the sifting and organisation of large amounts of information under pressure and managing information flow to the commissioner and senior staff.
	At a recent meeting, the HPA's report on the exercise to the European Commission was finalised with member states and other involved bodies. The report will now be submitted to the EC for consideration.
	The initial feedback received from the participants in the United Kingdom part of the exercise indicated that the process was very useful and served to develop a better understanding of the various phases of a pandemic, and a clearer view of the respective roles and responsibilities ascribed to the agencies likely to be involved in the national and international response.
	We are aware that the EC is currently considering a future exercise, but, as yet, no date or scenario has been confirmed.

Interception of Communications: Journalists

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under what circumstances journalists' telephones can be tapped; and on how many occasions journalists' telephones have been tapped in the past 10 years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The purposes for which, and the circumstances under which, the Secretary of State can authorise the interception of communications are set out in Part 1, Chapter 1, of the Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The statutory code of practice on the interception of communications describes additional considerations to be made when communications involve confidential information, for example, and confidential journalistic material. Information on the numbers of warrants issued is published, consistent with the need to protect the public interest, in the annual reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

Northern Ireland: Travel to UK Mainland

Lord Rogan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many points of entry there are on the United Kingdom mainland for passengers travelling from Northern Ireland; and
	Which United Kingdom mainland points of entry require passengers travelling to and from Northern Ireland to produce photographic identification.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is internal within the United Kingdom. Passengers from Northern Ireland are free to enter Great Britain at any point of entry. There are more than 2,000 such points. As such no photographic identification is required, although carriers may ask for such identification for the purposes of the security of their aircraft, vessel or vehicle.

Psychiatric Hospitals

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps are being taken to ensure the safety of patients detained in private psychiatric hospitals, in light of the finding of the Mental Health Act Commission's 11th biennial report In Place of Fear? that three-quarters of wards of private psychiatric hospitals in which patients are detained under the Mental Health Acts breach occupancy safety margins.

Lord Warner: There is no evidence in the Mental Health Act Commission report that there is an issue of overcrowding in private psychiatric hospitals. However, that is not to deny the reality of high occupancy rates in National Health Service facilities. We are tackling this by increasing the numbers of assertive outreach teams and crisis intervention teams to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital. We fully accept that the provision of a safe service implies acceptable occupancy rates.

Public Inquiries

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What highway public inquiries have been held since 1997 which have concluded that the road in question should not be built.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The inspector's role at public local inquiries into road schemes is to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether orders published under the Highways Act, which authorise the scheme, should be made, or confirmed. The Secretary of State then considers the inspector's recommendation and decides whether the scheme should be built.
	Since 1997, there has been no trunk road scheme that the inspector has totally rejected by recommending that none of the published orders is made.
	Local concerns about certain aspects of the published orders, identified by the inspector at the public inquiries into the A5 Birch Coppice junction improvement scheme (April 2002) and the A449 Coven to Gaily improvement scheme (March 2002), led the Secretary of State to conclude that they should not be built.
	On local authority road schemes, where the Secretary of State has been asked to confirm orders that have gone to public local inquiry, he has accepted the inspector's recommendation and decided not to confirm the orders in the following cases, precluding that they should be built:
	Sefton–Park Lane (September 1997)
	Waltham Forest–Argyle Avenue link road (February 2000)
	London Borough of Enfield–Northern Gateway access road (September 2001)
	City of Wakefield–Wheldon Road improvement scheme (November 2001)
	B4387 Minsterly Bridge improvement scheme (February 2003)
	East Riding of Yorkshire–South Cave Bridleway No.19 (June 2003)
	Dorset County Council A35 Barrack Road (June 2004)

Tax Credits

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made, for the purpose of determining awards under the tax credit system, of the cost of allowing couples in the United Kingdom to disregard joint income up to a level commensurate with that permitted to be excluded by single parents received via the Child Support Agency as maintenance for a child; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made, for the purpose of determining awards under the tax credit system, of the number of couples in the United Kingdom who would be affected by allowing couples to disregard joint income up to a level commensurate with that permitted to be excluded by single parents received via the Child Support Agency as maintenance for a child.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Income for tax credits is assessed in line with income for tax purposes. Therefore, maintenance payments for children are not taken into account.

Taxation

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the economic consequences if the relief which allows individuals who for tax purposes are resident but not domiciled in the United Kingdom not to pay tax on income or gains which are not remitted to the United Kingdom was withdrawn and such individuals became subject to tax on income or gains of all of their income irrespective of whether or not it is remitted to the United Kingdom.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested is not available.

Taxation

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost of external advice received in connection with legal actions related to the collection or recovery of tax which they are either pursuing or defending.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Capital Gains Tax

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the total cost of administering capital gains tax in the United Kingdom.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The latest estimates of the cost of administering capital gains tax are published in the 2005 HMRC Annual Report in Note 1 of Annexe F, which can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-report2005.pdf.

Young Offenders: Diet

Baroness Greenfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of research supported by the charity Natural Justice on the impact of a diet with supplements containing omega 3 fish oils, vitamins and minerals on offending rates in young offender institutions; and whether there are any plans to incorporate these findings into guidelines for dietary requirements for the prison population.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Natural Justice study in 1996 at HMYOI Aylesbury on the effects of supplements on the number of adjudications in a prison has been reviewed by the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics (RDS) Directorate. RDS reviewed the report when originally published in 2002 and more recently when Natural Justice contacted the Home Office about conducting further research. The Home Office concluded that, while the results showed a positive effect on behaviour, the numbers involved were too small to make the drawing of wider conclusions possible. Although the Prison Service has a long-standing commitment offering access to Natural Justice for further research on this issue—subject to operational, ethical and methodological considerations being met—additional evidence is needed to warrant a major change to prisoners' diet as suggested. In addition, the Prison Service has made significant steps in achieving its objective for all establishments to offer a range of foods and meals that enable prisoners to make healthy eating choices.